1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fishing line slip sinker and more specifically to a fishing line slip sinker with a non-concentric shape providing superior handling over and through submerged obstructions.
2. Description of the Related Art
An integral part of nearly all black bass fishing with soft plastic fishing lures is the slip sinker (also known as the slip weight). The purpose of the slip sinker is to maintain the fishing line and fishing lure on the water bottom. Lead is the usual fabrication material for slip sinkers although other materials are also suitable. Conventional slip sinkers typically range in weight from about 1/16 ounce to 1 ounce, and they come in a variety of concentrical, symmetrical shapes that include conical, bullet, spherical, or teardrop shapes. The aquadynamic shape of the slip sinker allows water to pass smoothly over the sinker's surface. The shape in turn allows the efficient retrieval of the sinker and lure (and hopefully fish) without adding an extra burden to the angler. Most of the conical and bullet shaped sinkers also have a concave bottom. The concave bottom increases the drag of the sinker in the water when the sinker is moving in the direction of the sinker's bottom. The effect produced by the concave bottom is that the slip sinker momentarily resists movement during the fish strike allowing the fish to start running with the lure without the added weight of the sinker.
A common feature to all slip sinkers is a fishing line tunnel that passes through the entire length of the sinker. The slip sinker's shape is concentrical and symmetrical about the line tunnel. This location effectively makes the line tunnel an axial or axis of gravity for the sinker's shape. The diameter of the fishing line tunnel is typically 3/64 inches and necessarily exceeds the diameter of the fishing line so that the fishing line is free to move through the sinker. As a result of the fishing line tunnel being larger than the fishing line, the slip sinker is free to move on the line as opposed to tying or crimping other kinds of weights on to the fishing line. Fish generally are very sensitive and will quickly drop any lure or bait that offers too much resistance. By having the fishing line pass freely through the line tunnel, a fish can grab the lure and run a short distance with it. At the same time, the freely moving slip sinker allows the angler to feel even the faintest nibble.
The location of the slip sinker in normal use is before the fishing hook or fishing lure. The angler threads the fishing line through the slip sinker point first and then on to the hook or lure. If the angler needs a fixed position for the sinker, "pegging" the sinker to the fishing line by inserting a toothpick into the fishing line tunnel captures the sinker onto the line.
Slip sinkers are terminal tackle. Terminal tackle means that slip sinkers are expendable as are hooks, swivels, lures, and other such fishing tackle items. When terminal tackle is lost during fishing, the loss usually occurs because the fishing line breaks. A major cause of line breakage is the slip sinker becoming wedged in rocks, brush, and other underwater obstructions. Conventional slip sinkers are susceptible to entangling or wedging for three reasons. First, there is little or no tendency for the pulling force on the slip sinker and fishing lure to change the attitude or orientation of a concentric slip sinker because the sinker's shape evenly distributes the pulling pressure (of the angler) across the sinker's weight and shape. Second, the concentrical, symmetrical shape of the slip sinker presents no variation in angles of encounter to the obstructions because the sinker's shape has only one rotational aspect about its axial. And third, the shape of the slip sinkers, especially the basic conical and bullet shapes, make the sinkers very effective wedges. The sinkers move point first into underwater obstructions, and when the angler tries to free the sinker, the angler invariably pulls and wedges the sinker further into the obstruction.